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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Africa
- Egypt
- Cairo
- Old Cairo
Old Cairo
This small and enclosed area, also known as Coptic Cairo, is the
oldest part of the city and was once known as the Roman stronghold
of Babylon; some of the old walls still exist. It is the ancient
heart of the Coptic Christian community and although only five of
the original 20 churches remain they are interesting to visit,
along with the first mosque built in Egypt and the oldest
synagogue, a representation of three of the major religions of the
modern world. It is a peaceful place to wander around and a respite
from the busy city centre. Churches of interest are the Al-Muallaqa
(Hanging Church), the oldest Christian place of worship in the
city, and St Sergius where the Holy Family reputedly sheltered
during their flight to Egypt.
Information & Facts
Language
Arabic is the official language although English and
French are widely spoken, especially in the tourist
areas.
Money
The unit of currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP), which is
divided into 100 piastres. Most credit cards are accepted in major
hotels and restaurants. Visitors are advised to take travellers
cheques in US Dollars or Pounds to avoid additional exchange rate
charges. Banks are usually closed on Friday and Saturday, but
private exchange bureaux, called 'Forex', are open daily and banks
in major hotels are open 24 hours. Cairo branches of the Egyptian
British Bank and Banque Misr now have ATMs available that accept
Visa, MasterCard and Cirrus and are quite common in the main
tourist areas.